Microscope



g- 1 K. w. HARPER ETAL 2,328,211

MICROSCOPE.

Filed April 2, 1941 INVENTOR KEN/VAPD W HARPER EEW/N 0.2 057 4? 1 ATTORNE Patented Aug. 31; 1943 Harpen, East'Auror-a, and Erwin 0. Roeder, Ebenezer, ;N. Y.,

assignors to Spencer Le'ns' Company, ..Bufialo, Y., a corporation Application Amt, 194;, Serial No. 386,467

'2 "Claims. (01. 88-39) i p I r *su'lted that the lower'end of the objective would i i This invention relates to improvements in microscopesand has particular reference to a new and improved stop adjustment to preventdamage the front lens of the.substage condenser during use-of the instrument v An object of the invention is to provide a micrometer stop adi'ustmentwhereby the downward movement of the microscope body tube 'ancliob to the objective or to jective maybe limited "to prevent the objective 'from hittingthe upper surface of the front lens 'ofthesubstage condenser saidjobjectiveor to said frontlens or both-' 1' Another object-of the inventionis to provide a micrometer stop adjustment for adjustably limiting thej downward movement of the microscope :body. tube and objective wherein the limit of dbwnwardmovement of said body tube and objective'may be adjusted to prevent the objecandcausing damage'to tive from hitting slides on the microscope stage .and breaking thesame." l h Another object of the invention-is to. provide -a simple; efficient .and 'economicalx micrometer .-stop adjustment .for adjustably limiting the downward movement of the microscope body tube and. .objective whereby I the same may be easily and quicklyadjusted to compensate for variations in dimension in thezmanufactureof the various :partsof-theinstrument. j Other objectsan d advantagesofthe invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying rawing, a i It. a will ;;be;. understood that many chan esgin thedetails of construction and ar-. rangements of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. We therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangements of parts shown and described as the preferred forms have been shown by way of illustration only. i

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a microscope embodying one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of a microscope embodying the form of invention shown in Fig. 1; and i I I Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. In the use of microscopes itis necessary that the assembly consisting of the body tube, objective, and eyepiece be adjusted to properly focus these parts for viewingfthe object under inspection. In the adjustment of the body tube and objective particularly by inexperienced operators such as students or thelike, it has frequently rebelowered toofar and accidentally hit the front or upperilensbof the substage. condenser and.

eith'erdislocate thefront lens of the objective or the frontlensof: the condenser or break one of these Ienseamaking necessary expensive repairs. The number of such accidents has been large and i ,for this. reason attempts have been made to provide stops for limitingthe downward movement variations: inv the dimensions of .manner described above. l Referring more particularly to the drawing in of thebody tube and objective to eliminate such accidents. How'eyensiich stop deviceshave been hired and didnot take into'consideration or compensate for the variations in manufacture, of the parts and for this reason. the construction was ,noteifective in a large number of vent such accidents a described above. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the pres- .ent' invention to provide a micrometer stop adjustment for limiting the downward movement of the microscopegbody tube and objective which adjustment. may be adjusted to compensate for parts of the instrument in the manufacture thereof and'when adjusted will positively prevent accidental damage to the front lens of the substage condenser pr front lens of the microscope objective in the which similar reference characters designate cor- .the rnicroscope shown inIFig. 1 embodying the invention comprises'a base I having an upright support 2 onwhich is supported the stage 3 and responding parts. throughout the several views,

the upright supporting arm 4 which is pivotally mounted at 5 and supports the body tube assembly G which carries the focusing eyepiece I and rotatable objective support 8 supporting the objectives 9. i i The body tube assembly 6 is adjustably supported on the front end III of the upright arm 4 through the rack II on the rear face of said assembly 6 and said assembly 6 is adapted to be adjusted by the coarse adjustment knob l2 which turns the pinion I2A to raise or lower the assembly 6 and the fine adjustment knob l3 which through the conventional fine adjustment arrangement adjusts the assembly 6 to desired position.

Underneath the stage 3 is the substage [4, containing the front lens l5 and bottom lens 1 6,and

the reflector 3| for reflecting light from a light.

source to illuminate the object to be examined on the stage 3. This substage condenser is adjustably connected by the arm I! to the rack member l8 which may be adjusted vertically by cases to pre-- other means such as the knob 19 which turns a pinion to raise or lower the substage. The limit of upward movementof this substage condenser is limited by the screw 26 which hits the bottom of the stage whensaid condenser is at its upper. limitvto prevent the upper face 2! of the front lens of the condenser from projectingabove the upper surface of the stage 3; It ispreferable however that this stop be so adjusted that the upper'surface 2 l' of the front lens of the substage condenser will be a small fraction such a of an inch below adjustment.

In the form of the mvention'shown in' Figs. 1', I

the support for the said member H] and adjacent the forward endthereof so that at least a portion thereof is.

' adapted to underlie the projecting portion 24 .of *the' washer member'or the like 23. This screw 25 is adapted to belocked' in adjusted position, for example, by means ofthe set screw or the like 28. although other locking means may be *usedsuch as a lock nut or collar as described j hereinafter for the formof theinvention shown 'inFig. 4.

i 1 When the microscope has been assembled the body tube 6 is lowered'by means of thefcoarse adjustment knob I 2 and with the fine'adjustment set at its lowest point through means of the knob l3 until thedistance or space between the upper edge 2|- of the front lens !5 of the sub stage condenser, which is placed at-its highest pointjand the lower edge of the longest objecwhich secures thereto the has a portion 24 ex the rear upper edge Inthe upper portion In of the arm ioj. two or three thousandths the upper surface of the stage when the condenser is at its upper limit of movement of said body tube and objective. The

body tube support is then removed and the set screw 26 tightened to securely locksaid screw 25 in said adjusted position.

If, instead of employing the lock or set screw 26 a threaded lock nut or collar or the like is used, it will not be necessary to remove said assembly 6 to lock the screw or the like 25 in adjusted position.

micrometer stop adjustment device described above, the damage and expensive repairs caused by the hitting of the objective on the front lens .of the substage condenser will be prevented and that'thisstop adjustment can be adjusted to compensate for "the variations in the dimensions of the assembled instrument caused by variations .in the parts of the instrument.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided simple, eflicient and economical means for obtaining all of the objectsof the invention.

supporting thereof, avmember vertically guideway, and an adjustable threaded member iii tive is separated by'a' desireddistance, we have foundthat a distance'of one-quarter millimeter is satisfactory.

tion the screw 25 is adjusted so that the lip or flange portion 24 will rest securely on thehead of said screw 25' to prevent further downward and'withthe parts in this posiof c said body member.

Having described our invention,'we claim:

1. Infa device of the character described; a arm having a guideway in one face adjustable in said threaded into thesurface of said supporting arm 1 adjacent said guideway substantially in'the direction of the longitudinal axis of the guideway, a second threaded vmember threaded; into said vertically adjustable, member adjacent said guideway andsaid first; threaded member, one of said threaded members having a stop surface thereon and theotherhaving means for engaging said stop surface for-adjustably limiting the vertical movement of said vertically, adjustable member. f f.

2. In a device of thecharacter describeda supporting arm havinga forwardly extending portion,'a guideway in forwardly extending portion,

the-forward edge of said a member vertical- 11y adjustable in said guideway, a threaded memberthread'ed into the. upper surface of said forwardly extending portion -.adj.acent, saidguide way, a second threaded member threadedinto said'body member adjacent the'portion thereof in said guideway and. means on said second threadedmember adapted to engage-said first threaded member to limit the vertical movement KENNARD W. HA PER. I

0:. ROEDER.

It will be readily seen that by employing the 

